Watching You
by S. Phantom
Summary: Damaged while helping, an Autobot gets repaired in the most unexpected way by being turned into a Sparkling. Transformers belongs to Hasbro and Takara.
1. Chapter 1

Bumblebee sat outside the large door of the medbay, his hands twisting restlessly between his knees as he leaned forward and ignored his own pain. When more Autobots landed on earth, they brought the Ark with them and with that, a more advanced medbay for Ratchet. The medic was able to repair Jazz, making his body whole once again and three days later, Jazz was recharging peacefully on a berth in the room, staying off of the duty list until Ratchet deemed him fit.

But that wasn't the focus now. Bumblebee felt horrible, felt responsible for the injury done to his comrade. The Autobots answered the call for help from the local police, even if it was a warehouse fire, but the danger went higher when Ratchet detected human life within the fire. Without thinking Bumblebee rushed in to save them, his youth and bravery making him reckless. He was able to get the humans out of the warehouse but part of the ceiling fell on his legs.

There was no damage, save for the black marks that scorched his paint, but he was effectively pinned down, the fire raging around him and getting closer, the heat threatening to damage his circuits. Just as the building was about collapse around him, movement off to the side caught his optics and then darkness fell around him.

When the Camaro onlined next, Ratchet had immediately forced him out of the medbay, saying that he was repaired enough until he got time later, and shut the door in his face. Bumblebee didn't even see how much damage was done to the frame of the powerful Autobot that saved him

"Don't worry, Bee!" a voice down the hall said and Bumblebee looked up and watched as Sideswipe and Sunstreaker walked down the hall towards him. The red twin sat down beside Bumblebee and placed an arm around his shoulders while Sunstreaker leaned up against the wall. "The Hatchet's done miracles and he'll be all right."

"Even if the medic has a horrible paint job," Sunstreaker said and Bumblebee managed a small smile.

"I know. I just… I just feel horrible if something happened him. It'll be all my fault."

Sideswipe was about to reply but Bumblebee shot to his feet as the door opened and a horrible racket echoed down the halls. Before the scout was able to step forward, though, Ratchet walked up to him, set something carefully in his arms, and said, "He wants you," before going back into the medbay.

The noise immediately quieted down and Bumblebee looked down at the thing in his arms and froze as he stared, speechless. Bright blue optics stared back up at him as soft coos left the small vocalizer that belonged to the red and blue Sparkling frame of…

_"Optimus!?"_

**oOo**

**Author's Note: **I love "TFs as Sparkling" stories. I highly recommend the author Karategal for this too. But no matter the amount of stories of this line that I've read, I've never seen one where Optimus is the Sparkling, and decided to fix this. My sleep deprived mind decided that it was a good idea.


	2. Chapter 2

Bumblebee sat still on the repair table of the medbay, his arm held out ramrod straight as Ratchet repaired a few of the gashes and burn marks on the armor. Beside him, curled up by the yellow thigh armor of the Camaro, the Sparkling of Optimus recharged peacefully, one tiny hand gripping the armor's edge as if to make sure that Bumblebee wasn't about to leave him. The scout gently stroked the blue helm of his leader, unable to stop the smile that formed as the Sparkling clicked in his sleep

"You never explained why Optimus is a Sparkling," Bumblebee said softly, not wanting to disturb Optimus but desiring an answer.

"The memory chips and circuitry were damaged in that warehouse fire," Ratchet said, switching his tool out for another one. Bumblebee hissed at the new assault on his sensors but didn't interrupt. "The files in the memory chips are corrupt, leaving Prime with the mind of a Sparkling. That will repair itself over time, but it could be from days to weeks, maybe months. The circuitry will have to be replaced and I don't have enough of the required wires to do that, but I'll be able to once Wheeljack touches down. But for now, Optimus has been restricted to that body and his access to his normal form is restricted down to his memory chips."

"But why are you restricting him like this?"

Ratchet pulled out a small bit of debris from Bumblebee's arm with a bit of excessive force and ignored the yelp he got in return. "Sparkling minds are curious, whether its something found on the ground or a stray code. We do not need him to accidentally access his variety of weapons and destroy things when the usage of a protoform works easier with only minor modifications to allow Optimus control it by remote access. Optimus is still around and observing, and while his authority has been suspend for the time being, he will not have to be caught back up when everything's fixed."

"Couldn't you just disable his weapons? I thought medics could do that."

"Disable weapons, yes, but we can't completely offline weapons of a Prime! They need access to the weapons to defend themselves and others. Especially Optimus since he carries the Matrix of Leadership. Do you think you can reach Optimus in time to stop him from firing off one of his missles?!" Ratchet was brandishing a welder in Bumblebee's face, forcing the young mech back unless he wanted singed facial plates. When Bumblebee didn't say anything, Ratchet went back to work.

"Why me?" Bumblebee asked finally. "I'm the youngest of the group. Most of the crew had to take care of me."

"He was asking for you. His processes might not be developed, but it's at the point where the only thing he would say was 'Bee! Bee!' Then he began to put up a fuss until I gave him to you. You're going to be his main caregiver. The rest of us will help out of we can. Other arm."

Bumblebee moved to let Ratchet work on his right arm but stopped at the slight weight it had. Looking down, he saw blue optics flickering sleepily at him. Carefully, almost afraid that he would hurt him, the scout picked Optimus up and cradled him against his chassis before holding out his right arm. Optimus gave a few clicks and chirrups in thanks and curled up before going back to sleep.

"He's not going to break," Ratchet murmured as he treated a few abrasions. "Sparkling frames are meant to take tumbles and bend. He might not like the abruptness of the movement, but he'll be fine."

"Wh'the frag is goin' on!?"

Bumblebee jerked back in surprise as the door slid open to permit Ironhide and Prowl, but Ratchet didn't let his hand slip, though he did growl. In Bumblebee's arm, the Sparkling woke up and peered around curiously. The small form froze when Ironhide peered closely at him and Bumblebee turned so that his body shielded Optimus from the loud Weapons Specialist's optics when he heard a soft whimper.

"Why is B'mblebee holdin' a Sparklin'?" Ironhide asked, turning his attention to Ratchet.

Prowl moved away from Ironhide, walking slowly as he came around the table and looked at Optimus, keeping his distance in case Optimus didn't approve him. To everyone's surprise, Optimus reached for the tactician, happy clicks leaving him. Bewildered, Prowl picked Optimus up and held him as he barely paid attention to what Ratchet was tell Ironhide, optics wide as small blue hands reached up and touched his helm.

"THAT'S OPTIMUS!?"

The small form jerked back and there was an astrosecond for Bumblebee to think _Oh frag!_ before Optimus wailed loudly, twisting in Prowl's arms and reaching for the yellow scout. Bumblebee quickly took the leader into his arms and hopped down from the repair table, excusing himself even though Ratchet was yelling at Ironhide and Prowl just stared at him in shock.

The door slid shut and Bumblebee could no longer hear Ironhide getting dressed down by the CMO. Optimus's crying had tapered off a small bit but he was still expressing his surprise by whimpering and nuzzling his head against Bumblebee's chassis. Bumblebee murmured soothingly to Optimus, reverting back to the clicks and chirps he used when his vocalizer was damaged.

The door to the rec room opened and Bumblebee went in, grabbed a cube of energon, and sat down on the 'Bot sized couch. The day itself already felt long and it barely past eight in the evening. When he was about to take a drink, Optimus grabbed onto his hand, trying to pull the cube toward him.

"This isn't for you, little one," Bumblebee said, pulling it away and taking a sip. "You're systems aren't meant to handle energon like this." The Sparkling gave Bumblebee an injured looked and the scout shook his head. "That's not going to work. I know Ratchet fed you before he gave you to me." A soft sound that left Optimus's air intakes sounded suspiciously like sniffling and big blue optics stared up at Bumblebee, the Sparkling's bottom lip trembling slighty.

"…I'm never going to live this down," Bumblebee muttered as set the cube down on a stable surface. Dipping one finger into the liquid, he brought it back to Optimus and wasn't surprised when two small hands grabbed his own and brought it closer. Bumblebee's palm rested on the small chest of the Sparkling, heat from the frame warming his hand as Optimus sucked the forbidden treat from his fingertip.

This was repeated a few more times, Bumblebee sneaking in drinks when he wasn't letting the Sparkling of Optimus get away with energon that would keep his systems up. But eventually, the Sparkling's optics offline and he laid in Bumblebee's arms, his tiny hands keeping a grip on Bumblebee.

Slowly, Bumblebee stood up and made his way to his own room, unwilling to give up the tiny leader to anyone for the night. The door admitted him to the dark room and the scout didn't bother with turning on the lights, the glow from his own optics giving enough illumination for him. He laid down on his recharge berth and shifted around so that Optimus was between him and the wall. Bumblebee set his systems to wake him at any movement that was more than a shift in sleep to wake him and offline his optics, letting his hands stroke the blue metal of the tiny head.

_**oOo**_

_Something was after him. Something large that filled everything with darkness and cold. Cruel words whispered to him, plants seeds of doubt in his mind and chilling his Spark._

**You can never get away from me,**_ it said. _**I will take everything you hold dear. Starting with the smallest.**

_  
No! He can't be taken! The Spark held in the frame of yellow wires and plating deserved to live!_

_**oOo**_

When he woke up, it was still dark, barely four hours after falling into recharge, but something had woken him. Optimus was still curled up against his chassis so it wasn't due to movement, but soft whimpers were leaving him, his hands trembling and grasping his armor loosely. Bumblebee jerked up when Optimus gave a sharp cry and he picked up the tiny mech, all of his system running at full speed when the Sparkling continued to cry, not waking up from recharge.

Getting to his feet, he began to pace the room, cooing and trying to sooth the Sparkling as he accessed every file he had on the care of Sparklings, eventually resorting to looking up techniques humans used with their own young. Finding nothing completely helpful, Bumblebee settled on singing softly, not using his radio like he did around Sam but with his own vocalizer, producing songs that were an odd mixture of English and Cybertronian.

Unable to stay in his own room, Bumblebee walked out into the halls, still singing to Optimus whose cries tapered down to soft hiccups, his bright optics peering around worriedly. Not knowing where to go, Bumblebee headed for Optimus's office, hoping that maybe the area would be a bit more recognizable and soothing to the Sparkling.

The door opened readily and the lights were brought up to a level easy on the optics. He walked around the large desk and sat on the chair behind, smiling at how his feet actually dangled off of the floor by a few feet. It felt odd for him to be setting in a chair designed for Optimus Prime's height while Optimus himself was sitting on his lap with his own tiny feet dangling over Bumblebee's knees.

The Sparkling reached forward to one of the desk drawers, opening the space and rummaging around in for a moment before pulling something out. Bumblebee was ready to snatch a datapad away if need called for it but his optics flickered when he recognized a gamechip in the blue hands.

Optimus immediately activated it and Bumblebee just watched him play it, leaning back in the chair and occasionally pointing something out in the game or whisper hints to the Sparkling. Every time Bumblebee did this, Optimus would turn around and give him a questioning look only to take Bumblebee's words of advice. The game was an advance one, a game that gave the scout trouble when he played it as a Youngling, but Bumblebee wasn't sure if Optimus was smart when he was so young or if he was pulling from a memory that wasn't corrupt.

Optimus got stuck on one part of the game and he tried many ways to continue on before he turned around and handed it to Bumblebee. Bumblebee took the game and started to play it, shifting his arms to make room for Optimus as the Sparkling moved back and snuggled up against his chassis, his optics watching the game.

It was only a few minutes until Bumblebee realized that Optimus had fallen into recharge. Quietly, the scout turned off the game and carried Optimus across the room to a doorway. The door opened, revealing a undecorated room with a few datapads on the floor and a large recharge berth against one wall. Once again, Bumblebee laid down on the berth and place Optimus between himself and the wall. Optimus moved closer to Bumblebee, instinctively seeking out the warmth the scout's Spark put out, and they both slipped into recharge without a fight.

**oOo**

**Author's Note:** I think I'm getting cavities from this…


	3. Chapter 3

Bumblebee anxiously searched through the Ark, starting at Optimus's room and office and working his way down the halls. He muttered a quick apology when he opened the door to Prowl's office and got a glare in return and he didn't even want to venture into Ratchet's area. He was about to fritz when couldn't find his charge anywhere.

Sparklings often had a tendency of disappearing on their caregivers. Apparently the crew had forgotten to warn Bumblebee of this little fact. Or they were letting Bumblebee find out how much trouble the scout had caused when he was young.

Bumblebee was only moments away from calling a ship wide search when he opened the door to the rec room and stopped, his overheated systems quickly cooling in relief.

"Say 'Jazz'…"

"Jash!"

Apparently there was also an unwritten rule that the caregiver didn't need to be told of a Sparkling's location every time it changed.

"I thought Bluestreak was supposed to watch him while I was on patrol," Bumblebee growled.

Jazz and Optimus looked up from their game and it was easy to see the way Optimus lit up at the sight of the scout. He crawled off of the couch and ran to Bumblebee on unsteady legs, almost falling but catching himself on Bumblebee's foot. Small arms reached up and Bumblebee scooped him up from the floor, tickling sensitive plating and getting giggles in return.

"Hey Bee! Prowler!"

Bumblebee looked behind him in surprise, not noticing when the tactician had decided to follow him. Prowl scowled in vague annoyance at the nickname but didn't have a chance to tell Jazz not to call him that when Optimus had spoken up.

"Pwowa! Pwowa!" The little Sparkling frantically reached for the police car, little whimpers leaving his vocalizer until Prowl took him from Bumblebee's arms and happy clicks replacing the whimpers.

"It's almost time for your rations, little one," Bumblebee said, giving the blue helm of the Sparkling a soothing caress. Just as quickly as Optimus had reached for Prowl, he reached back for Bumblebee and the scout was amused. No matter whom he was with or what time of day it was, Optimus would only take his energon while with Bumblebee. The yellow mech had to actually hold him during the whole process but Bumblebee didn't mind.

"You're going to have to stay with Jazz and Prowl," was the scout's words as one of the tiny, grasping hands caught a finger. When Optimus tried to give Bumblebee his "adorable look" Bumblebee just shook his head. "Do you want to come visit Ratchet with me then?"

The moment the medic was mentioned Optimus hid his face against Prowl's chassis and was holding on the edges as tight as possible. Bumblebee wasn't sure if Optimus was just being cute or if he actually didn't like the medic as much as he didn't like Ironhide, but Bumblebee wasn't going to question it.

It only took him a few minutes to grab the energon that was made for Sparklings from Ratchet's area and get back to the rec room. It was obvious that Optimus was waiting for him, sitting by the arm of a 'Bot sized couch with his blue optics barely peering over the edge. With a happy squeak the Sparkling launched himself towards Bumblebee and Prowl had to lunge to catch him before he got injured. The moment Optimus was placed on the floor, he ran over to Bumblebee in a wobbly line and the scout met him half way, picking him as he walked back to the couch.

"I wasn't gone that long," Bumblebee said as he sat down on the couch where Optimus was watching for him, stretching out as Jazz and Prowl moved to a table after grabbing some energon for themselves. The Sparkling grabbed at the small cube of energon and the scout helped guide the liquid to the eager mouth. "Or were you just waiting for the energon?"

Optimus made no noise except for the sound of him drinking the energon and Bumblebee started to hum softly, something he had gotten in the habit of doing when he fed the Sparkling. Whether or not it was intentional, Optimus soon slipped into recharge, the energon forgotten as he lay curled up on Bumblebee's lap.

Setting the cube down on a nearby table, Bumblebee stretched to grab a datapad to read while the Sparkling slept. Within a day or so, the scout had gotten into a habit of leaving something to do in nearly every room in case Optimus decided to go into recharge while with him. Ratchet had told him numerous times that Bumblebee could pick the Sparkling up and carry him around, even leave him in the medbay or the rec room where someone else could watch him but Bumblebee took his job seriously.

Bumblebee carefully moved so that he was laying down on the couch with Optimus now resting on his abdominal armor and continued to read for a while.

He wasn't sure when he fell into recharge himself but when he woke up his first though was to find out where Optimus was. That didn't turn out to be much of a problem as he felt something drip onto his chest armor only to be smeared by tiny fingers.

"You are making a mess," Bumblebee muttered, still a bit groggy from his short recharge. He could see the dulled pink liquid of energon and it didn't take long for the scout to figure out that it was what was left from earlier.

"I was going to stop him but Jazz wouldn't let me," Prowl's voice said from somewhere on the other side of the room.

"Prowler, if Optimus gave you the same look he gave me, you would let him do anything he wanted, logic be fragged."

"Fragged!"

Bumblebee groaned at the word as he sat up, sending a glare over in the two mechs' direction, refusing to listen to the cute way Optimus was giggling as he climbed down the couch and made his way over to Prowl. "I'm going to get back at you for teaching him a bad word…"

"Teach him?" Jazz sounded vaguely insulted though the grin was still on his face as he tracked the Sparkling as he got closer. "The moment his memories are back in working order I won't be the one that taught it to him!"

"But now I have to listen to it because you said it," Bumblebee answered, glaring at the saboteur but there was no force behind it. He got to his feet and walked over to Optimus who was only half way to Prowl, picking him up and smiling at him when the Sparkling's attentions were diverted to the yellow scout. "C'mon, loverling. Let's get to the wash racks."

The mech and his tiny charge disappeared through the door and Prowl looked over at Jazz. "Loverling?"

Jazz shrugged. "Mus' be somethin' Bee picked up from the humans."

**oOo**

The water in the wash racks came on at full force and Bumblebee quickly turned away as the cold spray hit his armor, instinctively protect the Sparkling in his arms. It took a few moments for the water to warm up to a more comfortable level and when it did, Bumblebee leaned back and let the water wash over him, splashing down onto Optimus and getting a few giggles for it.

Once he was sure that they were both thoroughly soaked, the scout got some liquid soap and began to rub it onto the Sparkling's protective plating, grinning in amusement as tiny blue hands chased some of the suds down Bumblebee's armor until they were out of reach. Bumblebee took enough time to clean his own armor of energon before stepping back under the water and letting it wash off the rest of the soap.

Optimus had his head pressed protectively against Bumblebee's chassis the moment they went back under the water and only looked back up when the sound of the water stopped. Bumblebee felt a twinge in his Spark at the sight of those bright optics, wishing that it was more than a Sparkling's trust that watched him, but that wish was pushed aside as he dropped a large towel on the blue head, rubbing the cloth vigorously to get the water off of the Sparkling. Bumblebee took Ratchet's words for truth when the medic said that a Sparkling could be harmed if it was left wet and exposed to cold air for too long and dried Optimus quickly and thoroughly.

Bumblebee was about to dry off but his efforts were thwarted by Optimus who clung to the dark fabric, looking up at Bumblebee with a pout as he clutched it to his chassis. He dropped the towel onto Optimus, hiding the red and blue from view as he grabbed another one and quickly wiped the water from his own armor, tossing the towel to a corner where others waited to be cleaned.

Optimus curled up in his towel, snuggled up against Bumblebee's chassis as if seeking the warmth of the scout's Spark, and Bumblebee watched in worry as the Sparkling drifted off into recharge again.

Carefully but quietly, Bumblebee quickly made his way down the long hall of the Ark, pass the rec room and Optimus's office to the gleaming doors of the medbay. The doors slid open with barely any sound and Bumblebee quickly waved off Ratchet's question before the medic had time to ask. The scout looked at the still sleeping Sparkling before turning to Ratchet with wide optics.

"Is he all right?" Bumblebee asked in the barest whisper.

Ratchet gave the impression of "rolling his eyes" as the humans said and walked over to check on his leader-turned-Sparkling. "He appears to be just fine. Assuming that he hasn't been doing anything he shouldn't?"

Bumblebee shook his head. "He ate most of his ration and Jazz and Prowl would have told me if he got into something he shouldn't have and we went to the wash racks when he made a mess but I dried him before he could come to any harm but I'm not sure for how long he was asleep earlier—"

"Sound's like you've been taking lessons from Bluestreak."

Bumblebee's face grew dark. "Speaking of lessons Jazz taught him a new word."

Ratchet snorted. "As it always is between warriors and Sparklings." Ratchet gave the small curled up form one last look before nodding to himself. "There's nothing wrong with Optimus. He's probably mentally exhausted from his memory chips in repair. This is most likely a sign that this going quicker than it has been before. His recharge schedule will fluctuate for the next few days if this is the case."

The scout nodded and couldn't help but smile when Optimus just curled up closer to Bumblebee. "We'll be in his quarters," he said before nodding his head in thanks to the medic and leaving the room, heading back towards the leader's office and quarters. The walk was thankfully short and had no interruptions and Bumblebee was glad when he entered the private room, the lights automatically coming on at a low setting so that the scout didn't rely on his night vision to navigate the room that was already becoming as familiar as his own.

After lying down on the berth, Bumblebee picked up a datapad and began to read from it, only pausing to soothe Optimus from whatever bad dream that made him restless. It apparently wasn't enough because soon blue optics flickered back on and Optimus crawled on onto the yellow armor until he was resting his head directly over the scout's Spark.

"Read?" Optimus asked in a soft whisper, looking to Bumblebee imploringly.

"Sure," Bumblebee answered before he began to read from the datapad, a story written by a human. It took a bit longer than it did the last few times but eventually Optimus fell back into recharge again. Bumblebee checked his chronometer and was a bit surprised at how late at night it was, having completely lost his sense of time since he came back from his patrol.

After preparing himself to wake up at odd times when the Sparkling woke up, Bumblebee slipped into recharge too, his fingers lightly caressing the blue helm of his leader.


	4. Chapter 4

It was dark when he came online again and for a moment he didn't know where he was. Nothing around him was familiar and while the gentle, rhythmic sound of breathing eased some worry, it wasn't enough to keep him in one spot. Carefully, silently, he got off the berth, trying not to disturb the one that was with him and walked out of the room.

Everything looked different from what he was use to so he must have been transferred to a new base or ship from the battlefield. But he couldn't remember where the battle took place or what could have been the closest base could be. And if he was injured in the battle, he wouldn't be allowed to leave the berth, let alone leave the room. The medic on duty would have made sure of that.

He wandered down the further down the hall, continuing to search for something familiar after turning many corners, the dark shadows hiding alcoves and doorways. He pushed further in his memory for how he could have gotten in the strange place and then something clicked in his processors.

Optimus's bright blue optics flickered rapidly and what tentative connection to his old former self broke as it faded back to nothingness. Once again, the powerful Autobot leader was left as a Sparkling.

Lost in the dark halls of the Autobot base without the comforting presence of his yellow scout.

"Bee?" he whispered fearfully. He looked behind him as something hummed to life and he quickly ran down the hall, only paying half attention to the turns he was taking. A hissing sound started behind a door to his right and he immediately went the opposite direction. Absolutely nothing was recognizable in the darkness and even if the lights were bright enough for him he still wouldn't know where he was. A soft whimper left his vocalizer as terrifying noises chased him down the halls and ran as fast as he could. He took a wrong turn and stared in horror at the silver door that blocked his way and Optimus's small body collapsed to the ground, what was left of his energy leaving him. Optimus did the only thing he could do.

He curled up and cried for Bumblebee.

b**oOo**/b

Bumblebee jerked online as something pulled at his Spark and thought at first that it was just Optimus having a bad dream. But the moment he noticed that Optimus was no where to be seen his systems went into high battle alert and he scrambled from the berth and ran straight through the open doors and into the hall. He had no sense of direction. He could be running on the ceiling and not know it. But Bumblebee knew only two things: to reach Optimus as soon as he could and to follow in the direction that his Spark was pulling him.

After what felt like hours but was just mere minutes, Bumblebee rounded one corner and nearly removed the hand that grabbed a hold of his shoulder from the owner's arm but was stopped by the tiny Sparkling who launched himself at Bumblebee, his crying renewed as he clung to the yellow scout.

Bumblebee shielded Optimus from the outside world with his arms, relief making him weak as he murmured softly in Cybertronian, and now he was grateful to the mech that held him up. He stood in the middle hall like that for at least fifteen minutes doing everything he could to soothe the distraught Sparkling. Optimus's sobs soon tapered off and Bumblebee looked to the mech who stood by him.

Or rather, the two mechs. Sideswipe was the one who caught him and supported him while Sunstreaker stood off to the side, looking as if he would rather be somewhere else. Sideswipe slowly removed his hand and Bumblebee gave him a grateful nod.

"How did you find him?" Bumblebee asked softly.

"He found us, actually," Sideswipe said just as softly. "He started crying right outside our door and the moment he saw Sunny he latched on to him. I think it was the yellow paint job." The red warrior grinned at the glare his brother gave him. "Even after he saw that it was us, he was practically welded to him."

Sideswipe reached forward to give the Sparkling a comforting stroke, but Optimus flinched away, pressing himself tighter against Bumblebee and whimpered, and in turn the scout turned slightly to take Optimus out of reach. Bumblebee's optics flickered in surprise and he looked back to Sideswipe, horrified.

"I'm sorry! I didn't… I don't…"

"Don't think about it. It's the middle of the night the two of you are probably stressed out beyond belief. Go back and get some recharge." Sideswipe physically turned Bumblebee around and gave him a gentle shove in the direction of Optimus's office and quarters.

Bumblebee turned to give his thanks to the twin brothers but the two warriors had already turned the corner and disappeared from sight. With nothing else to do, Bumblebee made his way to the quarters. Optimus didn't look anywhere but up at Bumblebee' face and his expression became relaxed as one large finger stroked his metal cheek.

By the time they reached the room, Optimus was back into recharge but his grip on Bumblebee's chassis was still as strong as before. The scout laid down on the recharge berth and couldn't help but smile as Optimus woke up enough to crawl up and curl up close to Bumblebee's head, their noses barely touching. Curling an arm protectively around the Sparkling, Bumblebee went into recharge.

b**oOo**/b

The next few days that followed seemed as normal as it would get for the time being. Though Bumblebee had to hide his smile when Prowl walked into the command center a few times and saw Optimus literally crawling on Bumblebee's back, asking the scout what things were by a simple point and "What!" followed by happy clicks and chirps. The Sparkling's feet were braced against the joints of Bumblebee's doorwings but it didn't bother Bumblebee. Every once in a while the yellow appendages would twitch slightly, a reaction to the scout's emotions, but this did nothing to deter Optimus.

At one point Prowl came in and actually saw Optimus in recharge, his tiny body draped over Bumblebee's shoulder. The posture didn't look comfortable and it appeared that Optimus would topple forward at any moment but Bumblebee continued his duties, holding a hand over Optimus to steady him any time he had to move.

But during the entire time, ever since the night that Optimus accidentally wandered out of the room and got lost in the Ark, he never left Bumblebee's side, at least one hand always clasped on to the armor of Bumblebee's leg or arm. He didn't even leave to play with Bluestreak or Sideswipe. Prowl saw no problem with this since he was able to arrange schedules for Bumblebee to work in the Ark and Bumblebee never once slacked off on his duties.

The first time that Optimus had to be separated from the scout was when Sideswipe and Sunstreaker had called for backup from the city, having spotted Barricade and were in a high speed chase down the highway. Prowl and Bluestreak were to meet up with the two warriors but Prowl requested one more from the direction of the Ark to block off the Decepticon.

Bumblebee had stood from his seat, the Sparkling in his arms and looking at him with wide optics as the scout walked over to Jazz and carefully handed him to the saboteur. Optimus wouldn't let go of Bumblebee's hands and Bumblebee kneeled down so that his optics were level with the teary ones of Optimus.

"I have to help the others, loverling," Bumblebee murmured as he touched their foreheads together. There was nearly a minute of silence before Optimus finally nodded, his grip on Bumblebee's hands loosening. Bumblebee smiled and pressed a quick kiss to Optimus's helm before racing out of the command center.

The Sparkling looked between the console in front of him and the Pontiac Solstice behind him before he reached forward and hit a button on the console and pressing back against Jazz. There was a brief burst of static before the speakers settled down and Jazz knew instantly that the Sparkling activated the channel that'll pick up on any conversation that would come over the Autobot frequencies.

Behind them, the door slid open again and Jazz turned to look at the mech as Optimus turned his head to watch the console as if it would bring Bumblebee back. Jazz easily knew who it was. There was only one mech left at the base since Ironhide was with the Lennoxs. Ratchet walked in and looked between the two 'Bots in vague surprise.

"I didn't think Bumblebee would be able to leave with the way Optimus was clinging to him."

The Sparkling actually turned and gave the medic an angry click before reaching forward and turning up the volume on the speakers even though nothing was coming through yet. Jazz chuckled and gave Optimus's back a gentle pat as he spoke to Ratchet.

"Well ya have yet to lemme off of the light duty list." Jazz lowered his voice slightly. "How has the repairs been goin' on…" He looked briefly to Optimus, not surprised that the Sparkling was watching the speaker on the console in front of him with an intense stare.

"As best as it could be expected. I've done all I've can with the materials I have and will have to wait until Wheeljack gets here. Last estimate was by the end of this week. His memory chips, though, can be anywhere between tomorrow and a month. But from his current level of awareness and intelligence, it'll probably be sooner than later."

Anything Jazz was about to say was lost when the Sparkling launched himself at the console and sat in front of the speaker as voices began to crackle from it.

_"Prowl to Bumblebee. What is your position?"_

"_I'm about seven miles out of the Ark heading in you direction. Barricade just came into my range… He's heading off road, east north-east."_

The intercom fell silent as the speaking stopped. Jazz and Ratchet looked at each other as Optimus grew fidgety. Nothing of the battle would be heard over the speakers unless the mechs in battle talked to each other. The silence went on to the point where Optimus was poking at the speaker grill with his tiny fingers, twittering impatiently.

Jazz had to lunge to catch Optimus as the Sparkling startled back, noise blaring over the speakers, orders and confirmations being spoken in rapid fire speech.

_"Sunny watch your back! He's rigged this area with missles!"_

"_I've noticed that Side. Thanks for pointing out the obvious!"_

"_Primus slaggit! The fragger caught my wing and shoulder!"_

"Bee! Bee hurt! Fix Bee!" Optimus didn't wait for Ratchet to reply before he was glued back to the speaker again.

_"Bluestreak, aim for the shoulder joints. I want to take him back for interrogations."_

"_Those are kind of difficult shots Prowl. I'm going to have to move to achieve that but Barricade's going to slip away before I can get close enough!"_

"_Sunstreaker! Bumblebee! Pull back now!"_

The only things that came over the intercom were snarls and the hiss of static for a minute before the mechs heard Prowl's soft sigh.

_"Prowl to Ark."_

"Ark here."

_"Heading back, ETA twenty minutes. Decepticon got away. Bumblebee has injuries to his right doorwing and the armor of his upper right arm. Sideswipe and Bluestreak got damage to their paint but nothing threatening… Please tell me that Optimus isn't listening to this…_

Jazz answered the question. "He's the one to turn on the comm. when Bee left."

There was a soft murmured curse before the comm. shut off and Ratchet left the room to prepare the medbay. The medic was surprised when small hands caught his leg and he paused long enough to pluck up the Sparkling who was currently climbing his leg.

"I'm not sure if you should be in there with me."

Optimus scowled at him. "Bub-bee hurt! You fix. Opti stay quiet."

The Sparkling had a good grasp on what was going on around him but just a bit of trouble on pronunciation. Knowing that Optimus would just sneak in to the medbay the first chance he had, Ratchet allowed the Sparkling into the area that he would kick most mechs out of. He sat Optimus on the edge of the berth and Optimus watched Ratchet's moves while his tiny legs were kicking in the air

Every once in a while, when Optimus would feel that it was safe, he would ask the medic what some of the tools were. Ratchet was saved from having to explain why he shared a name with one of them when the arrival of Bumblebee distracted him.

"Right on time!" he said cheerfully and Bumblebee paused, a faint look of horror crossing his face but that was replaced by a smile when Optimus clicked happily, staying seated on the berth.

Bluestreak and Sideswipe followed the yellow scout and stood as Ratchet inspected their wounds. It was nothing worse than some scratches, for once, and he sent the two 'Bots on their way before focusing on Bumblebee. When he turned around, Bumblebee was sitting on the berth and Optimus was pressed up against his left side, watching Bumblebee and Ratchet.

Ratchet picked up a welder, eying the nasty gash in the doorwing. "Between today and the night he got lost, he's not going to let you leave his sight until he gets his memory back."

Bumblebee gave him a tired smile. "It'll make it a bit easier to watch him, if anything."


	5. Chapter 5

Everyone at the Ark could tell that Optimus was either a quick learner or he was remembering more as his memory chips were being repaired. He was still quiet, only brief moments of giggling or talking breaking the silence, but those didn't last long. And he had a much better control over anything dealing with balance or motor skills. That helped greatly as he clung to Bumblebee's back much like how it was when he was with the scout in the command center.

Which was easier since he still didn't let Bumblebee out of his sight and running after the long strides wore him out quickly. And it was easier for Bumblebee since he didn't have to check around him to make sure his little charge was still with him.

At one point, Prowl warned Bumblebee that he shouldn't let Optimus do that. It was only spoiling the Sparkling.

Bumblebee just gave Prowl a blank look and replied that spoiling Optimus for a month or two will not undo a lifetime of training. Prowl was soundly defeated as Optimus gave him an innocent, questioning stare that held no place for argument.

Optimus was picky about who he'd let near him. It was obvious that Bumblebee was his favorite with Jazz and Prowl coming in close behind. He would play with Bluestreak, which baffled the gunner slightly, and liked to visit the twins when Bumblebee allowed it. He would see Ratchet only if Bumblebee asked nicely but still refused to go anywhere near Ironhide.

Jazz and Bluestreak began to coax Optimus away from Bumblebee a few days after the battle with Barricade with varying results. Some times it took many minutes of sweet talking the Sparkling to convince him to leave Bumblebee's side and play with a game while other times Optimus refused to even let go of the yellow armor. The results varied as much as the Sparkling's moods.

The day that the yellow scout found out that his time with the Sparkling was quickly ending was both a happy one and a sad one.

It had started out innocently enough. The weather outside was nice and Bumblebee decided to take Optimus outside since Ironhide was in the rec room, grumbling over a cube of energon, and Prowl and Ratchet were tense about something. Jazz had eventually joined them after Bluestreak had relieved him of command center duty.

At first, Bumblebee tried to point out the different things around them, either giving names of the items or prompting Optimus to tell him what it was. The Sparkling would easily answer him, but his attention span, like many Sparklings, quickly deteriorated. It quickly switched over to Jazz when he came out, but that was soon lost, and the two mechs were hard pressed to find something.

"How 'bout a game of hide'n'seek?" Jazz suggested, looking up from helping Optimus who was walking unsteadily between them. When Bumblebee gave him a scandalized look, he shrugged. "Sparklings an' Younglings all have a signal transmitter on a certain frequency in case they get lost."

"I don't know…"

"How 'bout one of us hide with him?"

Bumblebee relaxed slightly, and he gave Jazz a sidelong look. "Scout versus saboteur?"

"An' Optimus!"

Optimus turned to look at Jazz and raised his hands to the Pontiac, the universal gesture of wanting to be picked up. Jazz obliged, swinging the small form up so that Optimus was perched on Jazz's shoulders before he gave Bumblebee a smile. "Wait for us to hide."

Bumblebee turned so his back was to the two of them and his audio receivers told him which direction the ranking officer slipped off to before unable to tell anything and he let a full minute slip by before turning to find the hiding 'Bots. Bumblebee could tell when he was getting close to them, not by the strength in Optimus's signal, but by the soft giggles that filtered through the air.

The yellow scout rounded the corner of the base and was barely able to catch the Sparkling as he launched himself into the air. Jazz tapped Optimus's helm lightly to get his attention and when the bright blue optics focused on him, he said, "You and Bumblebee hide now."

Optimus nodded and immediately leaned closer to Bumblebee, telling him where to hide and pointing out the direction to it as Jazz walked away to give them time to hide. It didn't take long for the scout and Sparkling to reach the area and it was easy for Bumblebee to climb up to the edge over their base, Optimus clinging to his door wings like usual.

They moved back so that they were mostly in shadow, pressed up against the wall, and settled down to wait for Jazz to find them. Optimus began to get restless after a few minutes of nothing going on and Bumblebee fell back onto the habit of humming to Optimus. After having their leader as a Sparkling for a few weeks, Bumblebee's knowledge of children's songs grew, though he did wish knew more from Cybertron.

At first, Optimus relaxed as if he was about to go into recharge, but then he perked up, looking around alertly. He clambered down off of Bumblebee's thigh armor and crawled carefully towards the edge of the roof area they were on, Bumblebee following close behind in case he had to grab him from falling.

He didn't have the chance to. One moment, Optimus was watching the tree line with bright optics, and then he practically shouted, "Boom!" as he jumped from the edge.

Bumblebee could feel his Spark freeze at the brief sight of Optimus, the leader and Sparkling he came to love and care for, in the air with nothing to stop him from hitting the ground. Before he could even give a shout of surprise, a white mech emerged from the tree line where Optimus jumped to, dropping supplies to catch the Sparkling easily.

"Whoa! Where did you come from?"

"Boom!"

"Yea, yea. I know. 'Boom.'" Blue optics looked up to Bumblebee and the mech visible brightened, the vocal indicators on the sides of his helm glowing a soft blue. "Heya Bumblebee! It's been a long while since I've seen you."

"Hello Wheeljack. I thought the twins were going to bring you here."

The inventor shrugged, moving his head away from Optimus's grasp as the Sparkling was reaching for his mask or his vocal indicators. "They were but Prowl sent them on patrol when I got close enough to find my own way. So who does the little one belong to?"

Bumblebee climbed down off of the ledge, straightening when he reached the ground. "He belongs to me."

"You're a bit young to have a Sparkling, Bee."

"He's not my Sparkling! I'm in charge of watching him." The last part was said softly and Bumblebee took the small form from Wheeljack's arms when Optimus reached for him while small clicks and chirrups left his vocalizer.

"So who is he? I'd like to know the lucky 'Bot before I help Ratchet with repairing some of Optimus Prime's injuries."

Bumblebee's optics flickered in surprise. "Apparently Ratchet didn't tell you much… Wheeljack, this is Optimus."

Wheeljack was silent for a full minute before Jazz came out of the trees, looking between the three of them, and asked, "Wha'did I miss?"

"I think Wheeljack is pulling a Prowl because I'm sure I just froze his logic processor," Bumblebee said, waving a hand in front of the overly bright optics. In Bumblebee's arms, Optimus just giggled.

**oOo**

Bumblebee nearly cringed every time Wheeljack would look from Ratchet over to him and Optimus, but he refused to show his discomfort. Optimus was slowly going into recharge, lulled by Bumblebee's Spark pulse and a full tank, and Bumblebee didn't want to disturb the Sparkling.

After all, with Wheeljack at the base with the supplies that Ratchet needed, Bumblebe could feel his time with Optimus coming quickly to a close.

The yellow scout knew that once Optimus returned to normal, he would still be around, back to commanding his troops and always found in his office or practice. But they wouldn't be able to share the closeness they had when they were just a scout and his Sparkling charge.

The only reason why they were even in the medbay was because Wheeljack still needed Ratchet and Bumblebee to convince him that the Sparkling really was Optimus, even though he couldn't prove it by repeating any memories of things that happened before the accident. It took a few hours but when the inventor was convinced, he and Ratchet immediately got started on planning the method of which to replace the wires in the large, inert body of Optimus Prime.

Bumblebee got Ratchet's permission to leave and he walked down the hall to Optimus's office, sitting down on the berth when they reached the solitude of the leader's room. The scout lost himself in his thoughts, playing over his memories of taking care Optimus and the memories of Optimus and the crew taking care of him so many years ago.

A small hand reached up and touched his face plates, startling Bumblebee out of his thoughts.

"Bee?" Optimus asked softly, looking up at him with optics full of trust and innocent love.

"Oh Optimus!" Bumblebee murmured, holding him close as his Spark cried out for the Sparkling that would never be his.


	6. Chapter 6

Things seemed normal after Wheeljack had arrived. At least for a day. Bumblebee and Optimus went about their usual routine of feeding, playing, and sleeping.

Optimus had woken up a bit earlier than usual after a nap but Bumblebee didn't think anything of it. He just placed the datapad he was reading back down onto the desk and got down onto the floor as Optimus wobbled out of his room, his little arms held out for balance. Bumblebee didn't help out the small Sparkling, having learned that it would just earn him angry clicks as a reply.

The small form chirruped happily when he reached Bumblebee's knee safely and he looked up at his guardian. "Blocks?" he asked, looking around for one of his favorite toys.

Bumblebee moved to pull out a large basketful of toy blocks out of drawer in Optimus's desk and around to where the Sparkling was sitting patiently. Optimus squeaked happily and immediately got to work, choosing each brightly colored block carefully before pulling it out of the basket and stacking them together.

It was going well for a few minutes, Bumblebee picking the datapad back up and reading on the floor in case Optimus wanted help when the sound of blocks crashing to the floor was heard in the room.

"Bee?" Optimus asked, a barely noticeable squeak in his voice.

The yellow scout looked up as Optimus moved closer and then looked at the mess of blocks. "It's okay. You just need to start over again."

Optimus caught Bumblebee's hand when he reached to pick up a block and Bumblebee looked at the Sparkling in confusion. It took a moment to notice but when he did, he wondered how he didn't see it before. Tremors were running through Optimus's small body at odd intervals and his tiny hands were clenching Bumblebee's fingers at different strengths that a Sparkling shouldn't have.

"Poor thing!" Bumblebee picked up Optimus and shielded him in his arms, unable to stop the warmth that spread through his chassis when Optimus curled tighter against him. "Is it okay if we went to Ratchet?"

Optimus nodded after a moment and Bumblebee got to his feet, quickly making his way down the hall to the medbay. It took only a minute to get there and when the door slid open Ratchet and Wheeljack looked up in faint surprise, the inventor quick to pull a sheet of fabric between the area where Optimus's body was being repaired and the rest of the room. The Sparkling looked curiously at Wheeljack but his attention was brought back to Ratchet as the medic walked up to them.

"What seems to be the problem now?"

"He's trembling but not because he's cold or anything like that. And his hands…" Bumblebee trailed off for a moment, his optics looking back to the repair area. "What were you doing when we came in?"

The medic frowned as he picked up the Sparkling from Bumblebee's arms, running skilled fingers over the thin armor of Optimus's arms, testing for reactions. "We were testing which wires and sensor relays would need to be replaced." Ratchet stopped what he was doing, optics wide with realization. "The Sparkling body is picking up on what is happening to the real body. And since we haven't begun the repairs to the sensors until now we didn't know."

The Sparkling squirmed in Ratchet's arms, wanting to be let down since nothing was going on and the medic placed him on the floor, watching as the small blue and red form carefully walked over to Wheeljack. The inventor obliged, picking him up and swinging him around slightly before Optimus began to ask what different things were.

_How much longer will I be able to do that?_ Bumblebee thought before turning back to Ratchet. "Is there anything we can do? He was distressed when he had no control over his reactions."

"I'm afraid not. We can't just stop repairs or change wait until he's asleep, and we can't fully disable the link because things could go wrong between the two bodies." Ratchet shrugged, a faint grimace on his face. "Best suggestion is to distract him. Tell him stories, carry him around outside…"

"I'll try my best," Bumblebee mumbled. There was a weight on his left foot and he looked down to see Optimus clutching onto his shin armor, peering up at the yellow scout with wide optics. Bumblebee instantly smiled and picked him up, fingers instantly finding small gaps in the Sparkling's armor and tickling him.

"Primus forbid you have any Sparklings of your own," Ratchet muttered, shaking his head.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because if this indication, it'd be spoiled to no ends."

Bumblebee just grinned at the medic before turning and leaving the medbay, the happy laughter of the Sparkling echoing down the hall.

**oOo**

For the rest of the day, Bumblebee did his best to keep Optimus occupied. It eventually came down to sitting outside in the nice weather and telling him stories. The scout didn't know if he should be worried or amused when he discovered that the Sparkling's favorite stories were about the war.

Not that Bumblebee would tell the small mech the entire story. A good majority of each telling was exaggerated. The mech of each story never killed but some times hurt only to get better later. Bumblebee's favorite mech to talk about was "The Brave Autobot Leader."

Optimus's favorite mech was Bumblebee.

The afternoon was almost over when Sideswipe and Sunstreak showed up, and soon after, Bluestreak joined them. While the three mechs took turns telling their stories, Bumblebee relaxed back against a large tree, listening as well. Half of the stories that he heard were ones that he didn't know.

It was when the twins began to tell stories about things Bumblebee did when he was younger, the scout had begun to fall into recharge, lulled into it by the sense of security surrounding him and the warmth of the Sparkling curled up against his abdominal armor.

A few hours later Bumblebee jolted awake, looking around frantically in the dark for his charge. After he read the message from Sideswipe that explained that Optimus was getting hungry and fussy and they went inside did Bumblebee relax. Optimus was in good hands with the twins and Bluestreak, even if he could potentially pick up some bad habits from them.

Five minutes later and another explanation from Sideswipe that told the scout that Optimus was currently with Ratchet for one last check up, Bumblebee was walking down the hall with a half filled cube of energon, looking forward to getting Optimus back.

What greeted him was a bit surprising though. Optimus was sitting on a berth, listening to Ratchet, but Bumblebee didn't hear what was being said as Ratchet stopped talking when the door opened. The medic was about to say something to the scout but his mouth snapped shut as Optimus reached for Bumblebee, completely silent but looking hurt for some reason.

"Is there anything wrong?" Bumblebee asked, worried when Optimus just clung to him and hid his face against the yellow chest armor.

"…No. No. I was just testing how far along his memory chips have been repaired. I believe tomorrow morning we can remove the restriction and Optimus can start getting back into the norm of things."

"Will he be repaired by then?"

"We'll probably have to stay up most of the night," Wheeljack added, straightening from pulling a bundle of wires out from a drawer. "So Ratchet will probably be grumpier than usual tomorrow."

That got a soft giggle from the Sparkling and Bumblebee relaxed slightly, glad to have heard that noise from him. "I guess the only thing we could do now is go recharge since it's almost that time anyway."

"Story?" Optimus asked quietly.

"I'll tell you a story," Bumblebee said, smiling to hide the sadness he was now feeling.

**oOo**

Bumblebee sat outside the large door of the medbay, his hands twisting restlessly between his knees as he leaned forward. He knew that he shouldn't be worried. Ratchet was the best medic there ever was and he and Wheeljack had finished the repairs without a hitch. But he couldn't help it.

While it will be a relief to have their leader back, Bumblebee will never be able to tell his Sparkling stories or feel the unconditional love from him as the tiny mech falls into recharge at his side, completely trusting the scout to keep the dangers of the worlds away from him.

He was lost in his thoughts and the memory of caring for Optimus that he didn't notice the door opening or the shadow that fell over him.

"Bumblebee?"

The scout shot to his feet, optics snapping straight to his leader's face. "Optimus Prime, sir!"

"I want to thank you for caring for me for the past five weeks."

Bumblebee flinched, looking away from Optimus. "Think nothing of it, sir," he replied quietly. "I… I need to report to Prowl for my schedule, sir. Please excuse me."

The yellow mech immediately turned and walked down the hall, not wanting to look Optimus in the face when his Spark was aching. He didn't see the pained expression on Optimus's face as the mech reached for him either.

**oOo**

**Author's Note:** I know it's been practically a month since this was last updated! I'm so sorry! But I have about one chapter left planned, maybe two if I poke at my mind enough, but I highly doubt that. It should be out quicker though. Thank you for sticking with this!


	7. Chapter 7

Things felt strained at the Ark after Optimus returned to duty. Nearly everyone acted the same around the leader, treating him as if the whole Sparkling incident never happened. The twins still pulled their pranks on Ratchet and Prowl, Jazz was still easy going during their down times, and even if Optimus had to apologize to Ironhide for how he acted as a Sparkling, they were back to their old friendship.

The only one who showed that they were affected by the entire incident was Bumblebee.

The yellow scout attended any meetings that were called along with the others, accepted his orders with no complaint, worked on his training, and did everything he was supposed to do. But it didn't take more than a day for the others to pick up on a sense of sadness that radiated from him. When ever Optimus would enter the rec room when Bumblebee was in there, the Camaro would quickly find an excuse to leave.

Optimus also seemed disheartened when this happened but the stoic mask of a leader would always smooth out his features and no one dared to question it.

Worried and knowing that he wouldn't get an answer from both mechs, Jazz went up to Ratchet and asked him about it.

"Bumblebee took care of Optimus. Now that the connection that was created during that time has been broken, Bumblebee will probably act this way for a short while before healing."

"A short while? Ratch, it's been a _month_! Bee's never acted like this! Not even when his vocals were damaged."

The medic sighed softly and shook his head. "I'm a medic of the body, Jazz. Matters of the Spark is entirely different. There is nothing I can do. Only those two can work it out between them."

Jazz left the medbay in no better mode than before, but this time with the thought of going up to Bumblebee and talking the scout into confronting Optimus. Or Optimus into talking to Bumblebee about what was happening.

It never came to that, though. The next chance Jazz had to go up to either mech, alarms sounded and the Autobots at the Ark responded to the distress signal Bluestreak sent out, him and Sideswipe caught up in a confrontation with a few Decepticons

**oOo**

It tore at Optimus to see any of his crew stuck in the medbay for repairs. It was worse when it was Bumblebee that had the most damage, taking the shot that was aimed for Optimus without complaint only to fall into stasis halfway back to the Ark. Optimus had nearly panicked at that, the mere thought of losing the scout pulling the ground from under him.

He didn't dare try to force his way into the medbay to see how Bumblebee was doing. He feared that it would show favoritism to one 'Bot, and even his leader status didn't protect him from wrenches.

The only thing that broke up Optimus's time in his office was a short message from Ratchet telling him that Bee had waken from stasis, and after being checked over, was released from the medbay. Optimus thanked the medic before turning back to the reports he needed to send to the U.S. government, but those were only finished through a hazy of worry that clouded his processors.

After getting the reports sent off, much later than he planned, Optimus left his office and went outside, deciding that fresh air was going to do him more good than just sitting inside. It was cold when he left the Ark, and dark enough that stars were starting to show in the sky. No matter how hard he tried, his processors always went back to the time he spent with Bumblebee.

He remembered everything that happened when he was a Sparkling, from the moment Ratchet had given him to Bumblebee to when he was back in his own body. His processors were finally repaired the night before when the twins and Bluestreak were watching him. Optimus knew that he shouldn't have let Bumblebee falsely believe that he wasn't repaired, but he couldn't help it.

For the first time in many vorns, he felt safe. Except for the one night he got lost in the Autobot base, his only worries were that of _Can I play?_ and _Where's Bee?_ He didn't have to be the leader of some of the toughest, rowdiest mechs that the galaxy has ever known. He was just a Sparkling that they cared for and made sure was safe.

Optimus smiled at one of the more recent memories. The one of Bumblebee telling him stories. The ones where the scout painted the Autobot leader as someone who was fearless, caring, strong, and indestructible. It took Optimus a moment to realize that this was how Bumblebee saw him when the scout was young. And it didn't take long after that for the larger mech to realize he was now seeing Bumblebee almost in the same way. That was why it hurt to much to see the Camaro get hit and injured.

Sighing softly, Optimus pulled himself out of his memories and went back inside before it got much colder, deciding that he should try to recharge before tomorrow came too early. His way wasn't hindered by anything and he only passed Ironhide when the weapons specialist was on his way to duty before he reached the door to his office.

After checking to see what was left to do tomorrow and setting his internal alarm, Optimus lied down on his berth and prepared himself to go into recharge.

And didn't.

Optimus stared at the ceiling, at the wall, and at a random datapad before he decided that he wasn't going to get any recharge until he actually checked in on the scout personally. He got up and left his room, heading towards the quarters on non-officers but paused when noticed the door to the rec room still open and the light up to full strength. He looked inside and wasn't really surprised at what he saw.

Bumblebee sat on the large, mech size couch, datapad in hand, and looking utterly tired. It was hard to tell when a mech wasn't getting enough recharge, but there were still signs of it. Such as the way Bumblebee's hands trembled minutely and the way his doorwings drooped slightly. His optics didn't have the same bright colors of an alert mech, and his entire posture just spoke of wariness.

"Bumblebee?" Optimus said quietly, wincing when the scout shot to his feet. Now it was easy to see the scorch marks on his side from the earlier injury. "Please sit back down. I want to speak to you."

Bumblebee sat down and Optimus could easily see how tense he was, almost ready to bolt if Optimus made one wrong move as he walked over to sit down. They were quiet for a moment before Bumblebee said, in a voice that hurt Optimus, "I'm sorry for whatever I may have done. I didn't know how to care for you and—"

The scout's vocals stuttered to a stop when Optimus reached up and gently traced a finger against his yellow helm. "You should be resting."

"I can't recharge well after…" Bumblebee trailed off, looking away for a moment. Silence prevailed in the room for a minute before he said, "I love you, sir. I know I shouldn't be saying this but I do. It developed when you were a Sparkling, a love that a Creator would have for their Sparkling, but it has become more than that. It hurts now that we've been distanced once again and I would do almost anything to—"

Bumblebee was cut off as Optimus leaned forward and gently kissed the scout. When he pulled back, the leader said, "If you're willing, we can try. This might not work out. I might be offlined in any battle. You might find someone to give you the attention you deserve. But I am willing to give this my all and be worthy of this love you have for me."

Wordlessly, Bumblebee slid over so that he was pressed up against Optimus and wrapped his arms around his waist. Optimus returned the embrace, feeling the almost unnoticeable connection between them flare up once again. The one that nearly died when Optimus returned to his normal body and both mechs stayed away from each other.

"And to be honest, I haven't been recharging well either," Optimus said, delighted to hear a laugh from Bumblebee.

"Well, if you want, you stay with me as I try to get through this datapad. It'll be fairly boring, just to warn you."

"That won't be a problem."

**oOo**

When Jazz walked into the rec room, he was pleasantly surprised by the scene he found.

Bumblebee still sat on the couch, but he form was hunched over slightly in recharge and the datapad in his hand just inches away from falling onto the floor. Optimus was there with him, but while Bumblebee sat at one end of the couch, Optimus was laying on it, his dark blue helm resting on the scout's yellow thigh armor as he was stretched out.

But seeing as how the couch wasn't long enough for the larger mech, even if he might be the only one on it, Optimus had draped his legs over the arms of the couch, the limbs bending at the knee right after the arm and tips of his feet nearly touching the floor. And while it was rather amusing, the only thing Jazz could think of was _About time!_

After getting his energon, the saboteur debated whether to warn Ratchet that their leader might be coming in with some stiff joints but decided against it. It would be kind of cute to see Bumblebee fret over him later, after all.

**oOo**

**Author's Note: **And thus this is the end. I know it's not very good, but this was the only way my mind would allow me to write this! Thank you everyone who stuck with this with me!


End file.
